BERLIN (MNI) – A broad majority in Germany’s lower house of
parliament, the Bundestag, is assured for the Greek bailout bill at
Friday’s vote after the main opposition parties said Thursday they will
vote with the government camp.
Test votes at today’s parliamentary group meetings of the
center-left SPD, the largest opposition party, and the ecologist Greens
showed large majorities in both parties support the bailout bill.
“A broad majority will vote for the bill tomorrow,” said Peer
Steinbrueck, the SPD’s chancellor candidate for next year’s elections.
Only the post-communist Left party will vote against the bill.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right CDU/CSU-FDP government
coalition in principle controls a 40-seat majority in the Bundestag.
However, there will be dissenting votes within her own camp from
lawmakers who are unhappy about the ever increasing Greek rescue
measures.
At a test vote in the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on Wednesday, 16
lawmakers did not support the bailout bill. Only around two thirds of
the lawmakers attended the meeting. The FDP did not make a test vote at
its parliamentary group meeting yesterday.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@mni-news.com
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